Massage Parlor Owner's Trial On Prostitution Starts

The trial of Henry David Bloom, accused of promoting prostitution at his Hanover Township massage facility, The Body Clinic, opened yesterday in Northampton County Court.

Bloom is expected to take the stand today as the trial continues before Judge Robert A. Freedberg.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Vedomsky told the jury in his opening remarks that three "alleged owners, co-owners and masseuses" had been subpoenaed to testify at the trial. However, only one of the three, Dareen Robbins, appeared in court yesterday. Robbins, described by police as a partner in the enterprise, was convicted by a Northampton County jury in April of prostitution and related charges.

Robbins, called by the prosecution as a hostile witness, said that when she was working at the facility, she could make $300-$400 per week in commissions ($5 per massage) and tips. The tips included extra payments from customers for performing "topless" massages. "I'm working there again," she said.

She testified that she and Bloom conducted interviews and training sessions for potential masseuses, who she said were "subcontracted individuals," rather than employees. The training consisted of giving each masseuse a book on massage to read, and then giving demonstrations in massage techniques. The masseuses were told that there would be "no sexual activity whatsoever" at the facility, "just European total body massage and chiropractic treatments, and they could do chiropractics because they weren't licensed," Robbins said.

At one training session for a new masseuse, she said that she demonstrated the full-body massage techniques on Bloom.

Yesterday, a state trooper and a county detective testified about the "European full-body massages" they received at the facility. The massages, they said, included massaging of the genital area.

After a session held without the jury, the judge ruled that Vedomsky could not use the transcript of an earlier trial for one of the masseuses as evidence in Bloom's trial. Bloom testified at the earlier trial concerning activities at the facility. He was charged after giving testimony.

His attorney, Lawrence Fox, maintained that attorney Stanley Vasiliadis did not fully advise him that his testimony at the trial could be used against him. Vasiliadis, whowas retained by Bloom to represent masseuse Brenda Reiman, said it was his idea that Bloom testify during the trial, but "he didn't object."

Vasiliadis said he told Bloom that he could be arrested and charged with promoting a house of prostitution, based on his own testimony. However, Judge Freedberg said that the commonwealth "has not shown that Henry Bloom as fully apprised of his rights, so you cannot use the transcript from the Reiman trial" as evidence.

State Trooper James Anderson, who filed the charges, said that he was conducting an investigation into activities at several massage parlors when he first met Bloom and Robbins on June 18. "They wanted to talk to me about another (massage) business to be opened in the future. They said they had contact with the owner upstate, and they said he was involved with drugs, and would be running a house of prostitution," Anderson said.

"They said their operation would be clean - no masturbation or prostitution."